THE WARD WILL CASE.

Evening Star, Issue 4033, 29 January 1876, Page 3

THE WARD WILL CASE.

(New York Tribune.)

Eber jB. Ward dropped dead of apoplexy m one of the principal streets of this city on the morning of the 2nd January, 1875. He was sixty-three years old, and had suffered two apoplectic attacks before) but was to all appearance hale and strong. He was, beyond all comparison,. the foremost husipess man, in the .State of Michigan, and 'one of the most active and prominent in' the whole North-west. Bom in poverty, he accumulated a vast estate: The inventory of his -estate amounts to 5,335,000d01. He had seven children by his first wife, five °n-ij om dre nQW llvin g- One of his children—a son —was killed by the young brother of , a. girl whom the son had seduced. Another son died from an overdose of. laudanum, taken either with the intention, qf . suicide, or to recover from the effects of drunkenness. Of the five children who are living, the eldest, Henry, is insane, and ttaft-oldest girl, Elizabeth, is an imbecile. In 1869, after a .married' life of more 30 years, Mr Ward was divorced from his first wife. Mrs Ward was nominally the complainant, Her husband made no defence. The _charge was adultery. Within three months after the divorce was. granted, Mr Ward married his second wife, Mias Kate L. Lyon, who had been an inmate of his family when the divorce proceedings were begun. She formerly lived in Ashtabpla County, Ohio, Less than a year afterwards . the divorced wife died.. By the second wife) Mr Ward had two children, who are still infants. Mr Ward made several drafts of wills, but there is no question but that the one now in Court, which hears date 12th Of March, 1874, is his last one. It is long, but its most important provisions can be briefly given.- It bequeaths to the present Mrs Ward and her, children all the lands, buildings, And other property in Mason and adjoining counties (variously estimated at from 1,000,000 dollars to 1.500.000 dollars in value), “absolutely in fee, and clear of all incumbrances, ” and ■ makes Mrs Ward guardian of her children, and trustee of their property until they are twenty-five years old. After making a number of minor bequests, amounting to between 100.000 dollars and 200,000 dollars, it directs that the remainder of the property shall be divided into six equal’ghares and given to the; five children of the first wife, and to his, sister, Emily Ward, ah aged maiden lady, ( .hying m this city. - A codicil to the ! uoU, howeyer, dated 25th August,) 1874, materially'modifies the last provision.! It directs that the executors shall pay tothcl live the first wife a sum xiot exl f. m Phth oidvQf the estate] Ana ’Shall hot .in anv case a pay-f $$ youngest of

celebrity, and the wife of the famous Arctic explorer, Dr Elisha Kent Kane, testified that she ; was frequently consulted, by Captain Ward about his will, and that different spirits straggled for the possession of her, the (spirit of the first Mrs Ward advising an equal distribution of the property, and the spirits of the father and cousin of the present Mr# Ward predicting that all of the children by phe first wife but'two would become insane, and advising a will similar to. that made. The following is the paper purporting to be the communication from these two spirits. The words in brackets were from the:-first wife, “Polly,” who, as Mrs Kane testifies, interrupted the others, seized her hand, and wrote for a few moments, until thef others regained possession of her :—“All of Polly’s children will become insane except Milton and, Mary, and they will squander all that is given to them. Polly’s children should have trustees, the property be held by them, the children have the interest. [PpUy, Polly, Polly, Eber, Eber, there are breakers ahead, let me shield you from the darkness] —give Kate L., your wife, all the pine lands and saw-mills, and everything to carry on the lumber’business, free from debt. Kate L. ’s boy will become inriaim before he is twenty-one. What you S’ve him put in charge of K., his mother...Lyon, Claba.” Nancy Cartwright testified to having evbked the spirit of .ex-Seriator Howard soon after his death, with whom Captain Ward shpok hands iri empty air, exclaiming “God bl|ss you, my old friend Howard,” Still another was Hefiry Slade, a medium from Npw York, whom Captain Ward consulted abpvit his will. ■ Mr Slade said he received the following advice for Mr Ward from the spirits :—“ There is hereditary insanity in your family. Some are insane and others will be. We consider them incompetent to do business or to take care of the means. If you will anything to your children, tie iti up,,in such a shape that they cannot squander it or handle it. Your wife is. capable of protecting hers and her children. Hrive confidence in her. She. would do well to. handle the lands and the sawmills. She can take care of that property and dd well with it. As for the boys, as we before, they are incompetent to protect tljeir interests,” {There was a vast mass of this testimony, iiidicating Captain Ward’s belief in spiritujdism and the connection of his conversation with mediums and the making of the wjill. Thp proponents of the will are now producing evidence in its support. This is nlainly confined to the general assertion 6 Qapt. Ward’s- soundness of mirid. Scores of leading citizens testify to his extraordinary strength of intellect. Evidence has also bpen brought in to show that though a spiritualist, Capt. Ward did not believe all that the mediums told him.